Offseason baseball Thread

Pro football has evolved to the point where the quarterback is so important that his identity drives a significant part of its competitive imbalance. As long as the Pats have Brady, they'll be at or near the top. The return of Aaron Rodgers is rightly seen as turning the Packers back into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The draft and salary cap, which are the main rules supposedly creating balance, have morphed into "your annual chance of finding a QB" and "how to pay for him for his career if you do."

 

My apologies for the digression into parity, but as of this moment, the NFC playoff berths would go to the Vikings, Rams, Eagles, Panthers, Saints and Seahawks. The Seahawks were the only one of those teams to make the NFL playoffs a year ago. The Ravens, Titans and Jaguars are all in line to make it in the AFC. The Jags were 3-13 in 2016. The Chargers have a shot after going 5-11 in 2016.

However, and I've said this before, I don't care about parity. I care about opportunity. And that is what the NFL does better.

 

Again, you're missing the difference between a level playing field and competitive balance. To stick to your examples, the Browns have had plenty of opportunities to draft that quarterback. They could have gotten Wentz or Prescott last year, for example. They had the chance to draft Watson this year. Those are just the latest in a long line of mistakes at that position.

Every team had many chances to draft Tom Brady. Most of the league passed on Aaron Rodgers. Hell, Case Keenum was on the scrap heap after last season and now he is the quarterback for the top seed in the NFC.

None of this counters my point regarding built-in advantages and disadvantages.

 

Scioscia said Ohtani would DH on "many days" he isn't pitching.

So where does Pujols go? That's your leading contender for Drama Queen Scene of Two Thousand Eighteen.

 

If you can play catch, you can play first -- Gene Mauch

 

Back to St. Louis to finish his career.

I kid, I kid!! The Angels should see about trading to another team that desperately needs a DH, but I'm trying to figure out how much he's owed.

 

Pujols I think played 6 games in the field in 2017. And the Angels also have C.J. Cron, who's not terrible (probably better than Pujols right now, to be honest).

 

Who in the hell is making that trade?

 

A mere $114 million over the next 4 years, plus a 10-year personal service contract at $1 million per year after he retires.